The present invention is directed to a non-volatile memory system for an electronic musical instrument, and more particularly to such a memory system for use in controlling the performance of the instrument, for example such as a registration memory in an electronic organ.
Generally speaking, keyboard instruments such as organs are provided with a number of different performance control features for controlling the pitch and overall sound quality of the tones produced in response to playing on the keyboard of the instrument. Generally, these controls are in the form of player-actuated stop tablets, each stop tablet controlling a particular voice or a particular musical effect which is to be imparted to the music performed. For example, typical organ stop tablets provide voices having tonal qualities identified as various orchestral instruments which they simulate, such as flute, trombone, string, trumpet or the like. Additionally, effects such as sostenuto, vibrato, and the like may be imparted to the performed music by actuation of a suitable stop tablet.
In the past, many organs have been provided with registration preset systems. Briefly, such systems permit a number of stop tablets to be actuated in advance of the performance requiring their use, and such a combination of actuated stop tablets is generally referred to as the registration for that performance. Various mechanical linkages have been heretofore provided for the stop tablets, such that actuation of a single registration tablet or other control member will alternatively bring into play or cancel a given combination of stop tablets.
In modern electronic musical instruments, similar stop tablets are used to control both tonal quality and musical effects of a performance. However, it has been the aim of such electronic musical instrument design to maximize the use of low cost, reliable electronic integrated circuit components, and minimize the use of mechanical control elements. Hence, while such a mechanical registration or preset system may readily be utilized with the stop tablets of such an electronic instrument, the use of such a mechanical system departs from this goal.